The night was quiet and peaceful as the town's residents had gone into slumber. Only in the pubs and inns were there noise as the adventurers and jolly people alike merrily enjoyed the quiet time of the night.
Another thing which stood out from the rest was a large establishment which oozed out an aura of grandiosity and intimidation. It was a large building which was also known as the largest mercantile establishment in the town, the Goldstone Company!
Gloom and deafening silence loomed over the top floor of the company's building as a man seriously furrowed his brows with a serious look on his face. Irked veins could be seen popping in his head as he continued to forrow.
Clink
The shattering of a wine glass was the one which broke the deafening silence. The furrowing man threw it into the wall as his anger reached his limit. He was cleaning his fist tightly as his blood continued to boil.
"What's taking them so long!?" ［Algerio］
The owner of the voice was Goldstone Company's President, Algerio. He was a man in his forties with a large stomach. He is known throughout the town for his endless greed and wicked personality.
While he could be considered capable as a merchant, his personality as a person was amongst the worst there was. Many wanted to retaliate, but with Algerio's power and connections, there was only so much they could do.
Even the town lord who was the most influential and authoritative figure in the territory is having a hard time making him confess to his crimes. He was a cautious person who works cleanly and only trusts a couple of people.
The reason for his rage was simple. It was because no matter how many days have passed, the mercenaries he had hired from a dark guild have still yet to complete their task. No, rather, they have yet to submit even a single report.
Previously, he had sent out some of his men to abduct the lord's daughter, but they ultimately failed because of a pair of strangers. What's worse was that the lord had even hired those strangers as bodyguards for his daughter.
Because of that, he turned to the mercenaries known in the underworld, hoping they would get the job done. But there's still no news from them.
He wanted to think that they had run away with the money he paid them, but after considering their reputation, he highly doubted that it was the case. There was a detail he had missed.
Knock Knock Knock
Just as Algerio was thinking hard about what could have happened with the mercenaries he hired, there was a sudden knock on the door. The one knocking was his butler whom he trusted the most.
"How was it?" ［Algerio］
Algerio asked his butler as he walked in. The latter walked inside with a calm and composed expression on his face, contrary to the irritated and hateful expression Algerio was wearing.
He had asked to investigate the strangers who helped the lord's daughter for a few days. It was apparent that the investigation had concluded with his butler's entrance.
"The strangers arrived at Moterno more than two weeks ago. From what I've learnt, the apparent reason for their visit is the opening of the Labyrinth of Death which they will be participating in. One of them was a female elven youth while the other was a male human youth, and.... They are both B-rankers." ［Butler］
"B-rank?!" ［Algerio］
A surprised voice echoed throughout the once silent room as Algerio heard the results of his butler's investigation. With that piece of information, he finally understood why there hasn't been any news yet.
'No! No! No! At this rate, I will lose everything, including my wealth!' ［Algerio］
Panic ensued in Algerio's mind. He didn't want to lose everything he had worked so hard on just because of a couple of brats. Especially when those brats just happened to be at the right place at the right time.
His fists were clenched tighter than before to the point that his palms have started to hurt. It was then that an idea struck his head, and his panic have started to subside.
'Right, wealth...' ［Algerio］
The panicked expression he once wore was now being slowly replaced with a sinister and dark smile which reached from ear to ear. His eyes were shimmering with light as he saw a golden opportunity before him.
"Gabal, did you say they were here for the labyrinth's opening?" ［Algerio］
"Yes, I did." ［Gabal］
"Haha... Hahaha.... Hahahahaha!" ［Algerio］
A loud and sinister laugh echoed throughout the whole company as Algerio bursted out in laughter like a madman. The fear he once had was now replaced with joy of equal magnitude.
He was planning to use his wealth and abilities to manipulate the two youths into his side. Them being young, they were more prone to temptations. He saw a chance to acquire a pair of powerful pawns for himself.
No matter how powerful people are, it is their nature to be greedy and fulfill their desires. Algerio only needed to move his hands a little and tempt those hidden desires into awakening.
"Gabal, you know what to do." ［Algerio］
"Understood." ［Gabal］
The butler immediately left to enact his master's order. He didn't ask any questions as he already understood what Algerio meant just by reading between the lines. It wasn't the first time it had happened.
Meanwhile, Algerio who was left inside the room was now standing as he looked out the window of the room. He was facing the general direction of the Labyrinth whilst wearing a large smile on his face.
"Hahahaha! The Labyrinth's treasures are as good as mine!" ［Algerio］
He reached out his hand as he laughed like a madman once again. He was now even more determined than before.
...
⟨⟨Water Blade!⟩⟩ ［Eliza］
A thin blade of water flew towards a large tree, leaving a slice mark on the tree's bark upon impact. It was as if a sword had struck it horizontally with a power surpassing that of an adult's.
The three have already finished the quest they have taken within just an hour, and to make use of the remaining time, Grey and Yuna decided to train Eliza's skills once again and make her stronger.
It's been more than a week since Eliza had started her training and as the days passed by, she got stronger and stronger. She could even take out a couple adult men with her strength.
Unlike before, Eliza could now cast water spells and perform sword arts without failing. All of her tries were successful. Additionally, she has made quite the progress in learning mana redirection and reabsorption.
Of course, such rapid improvement in strength was only possible because the one's teaching her were Grey and Yuna. Grey's training method might be spartan style, but it was an effective one.
"Alright, Liz, that's enough. With this, you have mastered the most basic magic of the water-attribute and swordsmanship. Let's move on to a higher level." ［Grey］
"Eh? Am I going to learn new magics Elder Brother Grey?" ［Eliza］
"Yeah. Yuna will be teaching you 'Jet Stream' and I'm going to teach you 'Pierce'." ［Grey］
"Let's try our hardest once again, Liz." ［Yuna］
"Un! Let's do our best!" ［Eliza］
An enthusiastic expression filled Eliza's face when she heard Grey and Yuna's words. Not only will she learn new magics, but she had also received Grey and Yuan's approval whom she so admired.
Both "Jet Stream" and "Pierce" were basic-level magic just like "Heavy Slash" and "Water Blade". Both also pack the same power as the latter, but it enables the user to have more ways to attack in their arsenal.
Both "Heavy Slash" and "Water Blade" were attacks which slashes the enemy, while the new magic Grey and Yuna will be teaching leans on the piercing side. The power they possess was concentrated rather than spread out.
"⟨⟨Jet Streaー wah!" ［Eliza］
Eliza tried to conjure the spell, but failed miserably, causing the water formed from mana to burst and splashed towards the surrounding. Eliza's face also became wet as she also got splashed on.
Unlike "Water Blade" wherein one only needs to compress water in a blade and shoot it, "Jet Stream" relies on the concepts of pressure and condensation. Concepts which she has a little bit of a hard time grasping.
"Umm... Elder Sister Yuna, could I see it once again?" ［Eliza］
"Un, sure! Watch closely... ⟨⟨Jet Stream⟩⟩!" ［Yuna］
Eliza didn't waste the chance Yuna graced her with and observed how mana turned into water and how the spell had been released into the surroundings. She didn't blink even once in the process.
In consideration to Eliza who was observing closely, Yuna greatly toned down her casting speed so that Eliza could witness the whole process. Otherwise, not even mid-rankers could catch a glimpse of it.
The mana flowing out of Yuna's palm slowly turned into water. The water was condensed into a dense sphere, and once the limit had been reached, a small opening water opened up. With the help of mana pushing, the pressure in the sphere was greatly increased, blasting the water with high speeds.
Seeing Yuna's performance, Eliza once again gathered mana in her palm to try once again. She tried to apply everything she had observed into her own spell.
⟨⟨Jet Stream!⟩⟩ ［Eliza］
Unlike the first attempt, on the second one, Eliza managed to create a stream of water, but unlike Yuna's spell, it greatly lacked both pressure and amount of water. It just looked like a water hose rather than a spell.
"Don't worry, Liz. You're getting there." ［Yuna］
Yuna quickly patted Eliza's head the moment she saw her fail. She didn't want the little girl to feel downcast and disheartened from failing a second time.
With eyes full of determination, Eliza once again tried to perform the spell. She didn't get discouraged from failing, rather, her eyes burned with even more passion. She really wanted to master another spell.
The next attempt, she increased the amount of mana, thus creating more water and increasing the density of the sphere. She also increased the amount of mana to push the stream.
⟨⟨Jet Stream!⟩⟩ ［Eliza］
A pressurized stream of water shot out from Eliza's palm and struck a tree once again. Compared to the lashing mark the "Water Blade" left before, the "Jet Stream" drilled a small hole in the tree.
After three tries, Eliza finally managed to perform the spell. It was still an outstanding record for someone who had just learned magic about a week ago.
"I... I did it! Elder Sister Yuna, I did it!" ［Eliza］
"Un, you did. Our Liz is such a smart girl, isn't she?" ［Yuna］
Hearing Yuna's praise, a bright smile bloomed on Eliza's face. A smile which became brighter when Yuna patted her head. Of course, Eliza also responded honestly in kind of Yuna's praise.
"Hehehe, it's because Elder Sister Yuna is a good teacher!" ［Eliza］
"Oh, you... you're just flattering your Elder Sister, aren't you?" ［Yuna］
"No, I'm telling the truth! Elder Sister Yuna is smart, strong, and pretty. Aren't I right. Elder Brother Grey?!" ［Eliza］
Eliza's response came as unexpectedly as a response could. Rather than answering Yuna's question on her own, she also dragged Grey into her and Yuna's teasing moment. Grey was taken quite aback by it.
Anticipating Grey's answer, Yuna looked at Grey with eyes full of curiosity. It was a very rare occasion that Grey complimented her so she wanted to know his answer. She wanted to know what the man she loves thinks about her.
Grey on the other hand has become filled with troubles. It was a difficult question to answer. He didn't know if he should be fully honest or just give his objective opinion. Just thinking about Yuna was enough to make his heart race.
Especially when he saw Eliza's expectant face. She was eagerly waiting for Grey's answer without an ounce of doubt in her face that Grey would have the same answer as her. It made it even more difficult for Grey.
"Yep, Liz is right. Yuna is the most beautiful, smartest, and strongest woman in the whole world." ［Grey］
"See, I was right! Elder Sister Yuna is the best!" ［Eliza］
Grey decided that it was best to answer Eliza's question in a playful manner as she was playing along with Eliza, making the latter very happy that Grey agreed with her assessment of Yuna.
On the other hand, Yuna received a lot of damage from Grey's answer. Her face instantly turned beet red and feverish, and her heart raced as if she was running thousands upon thousands of kilometers a minute.
Well, Yuna wasn't the only one who received damage from Grey's words. The man himself who said them has also self-destructed from his answer. His face was just as red as Yuna, embarrassed from his own answer.
"Ahem! Right, Liz, why don't we start learning swordsmanship next? Let's do our best, alright?" ［Grey］
"E-Eh?!" ［Eliza］
But Eliza's happy face didn't last for a long time after she saw Grey's smiling face whose smile wasn't quite what it seemed to be. Eliza's body shivered as he saw that familiar smile on his face.
To erase the embarrassment from his mind, Grey decided to turn his attention into training Eliza. He wanted to teach a little lesson to the little girl who was the cause of his embarrassment.
"Don't worry too much, Liz. I'll make sure to thoroughly educate you." ［Grey］
"P-Please be gentle..." ［Eliza］
Terror was painted on Eliza's face as Grey grabbed a sword from his "Inventory". She could still clearly remember how much of a demon Grey becomes when he gets into his teacher mode.
"Alright, let's start with thrusting the sword till your hands go numb. Follow my lead, alright, Liz?" ［Grey］
"Uuu... U-Un!" ［Eliza］
Eliza experienced the punishment she unknowingly brought down upon herself as she thrusted her sword continuously for a couple of hours without rest. Each thrust becomes faster and faster with experience.
Even when Eliza's hands became numb, Grey just simply casted healing magic on her and then let her continue. It wasn't until the sky's color had started to change that Eliza's training stopped.
Of course, Grey still had some conscience inside of him when he made the little girl thrust her sword in a seemingly endless loop. He promised to cook her more food if she could still thrust until they went home.
Eliza's determination was fueled by Grey's promise and she worked even harder than before. She didn't mind the pain from thrusting her sword repeatedly and just focused on the reward at the end, making her pull through the demonic training.
The amount of thrusts Eliza made was no joke. It was an amount not even cadets in the Royal Academy could endure. If it weren't for Grey's recovery spells, her hands would probably be bleeding from it.
Just like their usual routine, after arriving back at Moterno, the first destination of the three were the Adventurers' Guild which has become even more crowded with the Labyrinth's opening nearing.
"Good evening, Mister Grey, Miss Yuna, and Lady Eliza. Are you here to process your quests as usual?" ［Anna］
"Good evening." ［Yuna］
"Yeah. It's a goblin extermination quest just like yesterday." ［Grey］
"I see... Then just wait a moment, I'll process it quickly." ［Anna］
Anna didn't waste any time and immediately inputted the data of the quest completion to the main server. Just as she was doing so, she suddenly remembered something and made an "Ah!" sound.
"I forgot to mention, but there's a letter for you, Miss Yuna, Mister Grey." ［Anna］
"A letter?" ［Grey］
"Yes. It's a letter addressed to "Aster". It was delivered to the guild this morning." ［Anna］
Just as she was speaking about it, Anna handed the letter towards Grey and Yuna.
It was a well-made letter, and when Grey peeked inside, he saw a peculiar crest embedded on it.
Grey and Yuna were confused with the sudden letter. They couldn't figure out who sent nor did they know anything they did which warranted the attention of someone with power.
"Miss Anna, do you know who sent it?" ［Grey］
"No, I don't. It was given to us by a messenger, other than that, we have no clue who sent it. And as members of the adventurer's guild, we have the right to open it and confirm the sender." ［Anna］
"I see..." ［Grey］
"Oh, here are your cards. I've completed the processing of the quest. Everything should be fine now." ［Anna］
"Oh, thanks." ［Grey］
"Thank you, Miss Anna." ［Yuna］
With the completion of the quest, Grey and company headed outside the guild towards the mansion. Meanwhile, Anna continued to tend to adventurers and also processed their quests.
As they were on their way back to the mansion, Grey opened up the sealed letter, only to find out something he did not expect. The contents were obviously more than what it seems.
"What does it say?" ［Yuna］
"It's an invitation for tea, but I doubt that it's as simple as that." ［Grey］
------
Dear Aster,
I would love to invite Their Excellencies, Count Grey and Countess Yuna into my humble abode to join me for an afternoon tea. If you would permit, my carriage will be waiting in the front of the Merchant Guild's building until the clock strikes three. It would be my greatest joy and pleasure if Their Excellencies fulfill this humble one's wish.
Yours truly,
Argas
------
CHAPTER 47 END